15 DISHES THAT PROVE THE BEST AMERICAN FOOD IS FROM THE MIDWEST

While the American South gets to brag about their barbecue and soul food, and the Northeast has lobster and oysters, we think it’s high time to celebrate perhaps the most delicious culinary region in the U.S.: the Midwest. Before you say anything, yes, the Midwest’s contributions to American cuisine go way beyond just tater tot casserole.

There’s actually a lot to consider when it comes to Midwestern food and why it's so unique. Which is why you should watch America's Most Delish: Midwest, our new culinary road trip series that's streaming now on the Very Local channel for free. Each episode of America's Most Delish is a journey through the American heartland featuring Delish’s own Joanna Saltz, Robert Seixas, Allison Arnold, Brooke Caison, and Julia Smith. Tune in to discover new dishes and fall back in love with old favorites.

Here’s just a taste of what you might find on this trip across the Midwest:

Butter Cow (Iowa)

Let’s begin with perhaps the most famous Midwestern food celebrity of all: the almighty Iowa State Fair Butter Cow. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s exactly how it sounds: a cow sculpted completely out of pure cream Iowa butter. Since the tradition started in 1911, there have been only five appointed butter sculptors who have been tasked with crafting the nearly 600-pound sculpture of a life-size cow. How much butter is that really? It’s enough to butter over 19,200 slices of toast, which would take an average human over two lifetimes to eat!

Cromelette (Wisconsin)

A fusion of a croissant and an omelet, the Cromelette is the brainchild of Lincoln, Nebraska’s Coffee House & Bakery, where they stuff a flaky croissant with all the best omelet fillings like spinach and feta and bacon and gouda. Cronuts (croissant + donut) and the cruffin (croissant + muffin) are so last season, but the Cromelette will be forever as far as we’re concerned.

Stuffed Tots (Nebraska)

In the Midwest, it just isn’t enough to top your casseroles with tater tots; you must stuff those tots, too, especially if you’re at Omaha’s Kamp food hall. There you’ll find maybe the best collection of words ever: giant, cheese-stuffed tater tots. Do they also serve grilled cheese tater tots with tomato soup? You betcha. It just makes too much sense!

Lefse (North Dakota)

As Norwegian immigrants made their way to states like North Dakota, they brought their beloved lefse bread. A soft flatbread made with potatoes, lefse is traditionally made on a griddle, then rolled up, and served in sweet and savory ways, much like a crepe. Perfect with a dollop of butter and a sprinkle of sugar, lefse is a traditional dish enjoyed often just on Christmas (albeit you’ll want some every day of the year).

Danish Kringle (Wisconsin)

Step aside, donuts, because there’s another ring-shaped treat that goes well with a cup of coffee: Danish Kringle. If you freak out over a good almond croissant, you’re going to love these ultra flaky pastry that just happens to be the state pastry of Wisconsin. Often stuffed with a variety of fillings (like raspberry, key lime, and even cheesecake), Kringles are a true labor of love and often take up to three days to make.

Cincinnati Chili (Ohio)

Every corner of the U.S. has a hot take on what should and shouldn’t be in chili, and we’re gonna have to side with Cincinnati here: no beans, plenty of spice (like cinnamon, allspice, and clove), and serve it on a big mound of spaghetti or a hot dog.

Michoacan Ice Cream (Missouri)

Even though it originated in Mexico, Michoacan ice cream is beloved in the Midwest, especially the fresh fruit paletas and scoops made at Palacana in Kansas City, MO. With crafted flavors that are equal parts surprising and delightful (like cheese, horchata, and Mexican Twinkie), Palacana’s Michoacan ice cream gives American ice cream a run for its money.

Iowa Sushi (Iowa)

Landlocked as it is, Iowa’s namesake Iowa Sushi contains zero fish, rice, or seaweed. That doesn’t mean it isn’t any less delicious. In fact, it might just become our new favorite party appetizer. Iowa Sushi is made of pickles (great start) that get coated in cream cheese (love where this is going), that’s then rolled up with slices of corned beef (amazing, no notes).

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (Multiple States)

Similar to Iowa Sushi, Strawberry Pretzel Salad is hardly what we’d define as a traditional salad. It is very much a decadent dessert, but with a salad’s fun textures and plenty of sweet-salty moments. It’s a multilayered masterpiece, really, with a buttery pretzel layer that’s topped with fluffy whipped cream cheese, and a strawberry-studded strawberry Jell-O layer (just for balance).

Wisconsin Weird Cheeses (Wisconsin)

Wisconsin cheddar is world famous for a reason, but it’s time to pay attention to the state’s less well-known, dare I say, kind of weirdly delicious, cheeses. Instead of your standard cheddar, maybe swap in a Espresso/Chai/Merlot-infused wedge of BellaVitano, an extra-stinky Limburger, or a Marbled Blue Jack on your next charcuterie board.

Juicy Lucy (Minnesota)

There are cheeseburgers, and then there are Juicy Lucy burgers. These molten cheese-stuffed burgers from Minnesota might have a fuzzy origin story: two different bars in the Twin Cities claim to have created this brilliant burger. But one thing is true: they might be the only way you want to make a cheeseburger going forward.

Buckeyes (Ohio)

Has the combo of peanut butter and chocolate ever disappointed you? Nope, probably never. So it should come as no surprise that Buckeyes are one of our favorite Midwestern delicacies. These virtually unputdownable, fudgy, peanut butter balls that are then dipped into chocolate are a classic for a very good reason.

Chicago-Style Hot Dog (Illinois)

Perhaps the most balanced of all the regional hot dogs, Chicago-style dogs are stacked with toppings (a.k.a. “dragged through the garden”), so it almost feels like you’ve got a complete meal between the bun. The non-negotiables include a poppy seed hot dog bun and an all-beef frankfurter topped with sport peppers, yellow mustard, white onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slice, and celery salt to tie it all together. It’s a mouthful in more ways than one.

St. Louis-Style Pizza (Missouri)

Chicago’s deep dish gets a lot of the attention when it comes to regional pizza, but St. Louis’ style is the one to watch. In fact, St. Louis-style pizza couldn’t be more different than its neighbor’s. While Chicago’s deep dish pizza is dense and pie-like, St. Louis-style pizzas are crispy, cracker-thin, made with unleavened dough that gets loaded up with toppings from end to end. What ties them together? Both pizzas require a fork and knife, since those ultra-crunchy St. Louis slices are loaded, becoming, according to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, a “big pizza nacho.” Um, count us in?!

Scotcheroos (Nebraska)

The Des Moines Register said it best: Scotcheroos are a Rice Krispies Treat “on steroids.” Not literally, of course, but they are truly a super-charged dessert that's non-negotiable on Midwestern dessert tables, with a recipe that originated on the side of a cereal box in the ‘60s. Simply put, scotcheroos are a Rice Krispies Treat that mighty-morphed into an ultra-rich treat with the addition of a swirl of peanut butter into the Rice Krispies mixture and a quick dip into melted chocolate once it cools. Once you have a bite of a scotcheroo, you might never go back to regular Rice Krispies Treats again.

Watch America's Most Delish: Midwest, our new series that's streaming now on the (free!) Very Local channel.

2024-07-18T21:35:34Z